Musical memories in newborns: A resting-state functional connectivity study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Music Cognition

Background:

• Music is known to evoke emotions and activate memories in adults.
• Familiar music is processed distinctively from unfamiliar music even in newborns.
• Music listening engages working memory and limbic networks in adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of familiar versus first-time music listening on brain resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) in newborns.
• To explore music's modulatory effects on brain networks associated with memory and emotion in infants.
• To compare these effects in full-term infants, preterm infants with prior music exposure, and control preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a connectome-based framework to analyze resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC).
• Examined RS-FC modulation in three groups: preterm infants with NICU music exposure, control preterm infants, and full-term infants.
• Assessed immediate changes in brain connectivity following music listening sessions.

Main Results:

• Music listening modulated RS-FC between brain regions involved in music and emotion processing in all infant groups.
• The music-exposed group showed increased RS-FC in regions linked to familiar, emotionally arousing music, and multisensory processing, suggesting memory retrieval.
• A negative correlation with the Default Mode Network was observed, indicating cognitive processing engagement.

Conclusions:

• Music listening significantly modulates brain RS-FC in newborns, impacting networks crucial for memory and emotional processing.
• Prior music exposure in preterm infants correlates with enhanced connectivity in multisensory and emotional processing regions, indicating musical memory engagement.
• These findings provide insights into the neural correlates of musical memory engrams in developing infant brains.